Virginia Hall

Virginia Hall - Spy, Timeline and Childhood

Violet FieldHome › AmericanVirginia HallApril 6, 1906778 views

0 based on 0 rates
Virginia Hall Biography Stories 

Virginia Hall's Personal Details

Virginia Hall Goillot was an American spy and most wanted by the ‘Geheime Staatspolizei’ (Gestapo), the official secret police of Nazis

InformationDetail
BirthdayApril 6, 1906
Died onJuly 8, 1982
NationalityAmerican
FamousMiscellaneous, Spies, Spy
SpousesPaul Gaston Goillot
Universities
  • Roland Park Country School
  • Radcliffe College
Birth PlaceBaltimore, Maryland, U.S.
GenderFemale
Sun SignAries
Born inBaltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Famous asAmerican Spy
Died at Age76

// Famous Spy

John André

John André

John André was a British Army officer who was tried and executed for his espionage by the ‘Continental Army’ at the time of the ‘American War of Independence’. This biography profiles his childhood, life, military career and timeline.

James Armistead Lafayette

James Armistead Lafayette

James Armistead Lafayette was an African-American slave who worked for the ‘American Continental Army’ during the Revolutionary War of America as a spy. This biography profiles his childhood, life, career & timeline.

Peggy Shippen

Peggy Shippen

Peggy Shippen was a notorious spy who along with her husband Benedict Arnold conspired against the Americans. Check out this biography to know more about her life.

Virginia Hall's photo

Who is Virginia Hall?

Virginia Hall Goillot was an American spy and most wanted by the ‘Geheime Staatspolizei’ (Gestapo), the official secret police of Nazis. Her espionage started at the time of World War II with the British ‘Special Operations Executive’ following amputation of a portion of her left leg that deterred her from pursuing a career in the Foreign Service. Later she joined the ‘Special Operations Branch’ of the United States ‘Office of Strategic Services’. Post war she worked as an intelligence analyst on French parliamentary affairs in the ‘Special Activities Division’ of the ‘Central Intelligence Agency’ (CIA) of America. She adopted several nicknames during her espionage including "Nicolas", "Marie of Lyon", "Marie Monin", "Camille", "Diane" and "Germaine". She was called ‘Artemis’ and "lady with the limp" by the Germans. She was an honorary ‘Member of the Order of the British Empire’. On September 27, 1945, she received the ‘Distinguished Service Cross’ award from General William Joseph Donovan as the only civilian woman for her efforts in France at the time of World War II. Posthumously she was honoured by the British and French embassies in 2006. ‘The Wolves at the Door: The True Story of America's Greatest Female Spy’ by Judith L. Pearson and ‘L'Espionne. Virginia Hall, une Américaine dans la guerre’ by Vincent Nouzille narrate the adventurous life of Virginia Hall.

// Famous Spies

Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale was an American patriot and martyr who fought for the Continental Army during the American War of Independence. This biography explores his childhood, early life, career, achievements, personal life, legacy and timeline.

Hiroo Onoda

Hiroo Onoda

Hiroo Onoda was an Imperial Japanese Army intelligence officer. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.

Aldrich Ames

Aldrich Ames

Aldrich Hazen Ames is a former CIA officer, who was convicted of espionage against his own country in 1994. This biography of Ames profiles his childhood, life, CIA and espionage career, activities and timeline.

Childhood & Early Life

She was born on April 6, 1906, in a well-to-do family of Edwin Hall in Baltimore, United States. Her father was the owner of a cinema in Baltimore.

She studied in the ‘Roland Park Country School’ and thereafter attended the renowned ‘Radcliffe College’, an only women liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

She also attended the prestigious ‘Barnard College’, a private women's liberal arts college in New York.

Virginia Hall moved across Europe with the support of her parents and studied in Germany, Austria and France. She was an enthusiast of modern languages and learned German, French and Italian.

In 1931 she joined the American Embassy as a Consular Service clerk in Warsaw, Poland. She aimed to work at the US State Department to pursue a career in Foreign Service.

In 1932 she met with an unfortunate accident when she mistakenly shot her left leg during a hunting expedition in Turkey. This led to amputation of a part of her left leg down the knee. She started wearing a wooden leg in the place and used to call it “Cuthbert’.

Though she did not allow the mishap to discourage her, it posed a hindrance in the path of her dream of continuing her career in the Foreign Service. In 1939 she was forced to resign from her job as a regulation of US State Department restricted employment of anyone with "any amputation of a portion of a limb".

She later studied in Washington, DC at the ‘American University’.

Career

At the outbreak of the Second World War, while she was staying in Paris, she joined the ‘Ambulance Service Unit’ of France.

In May 1940 when the Nazis invaded France, she managed to escape to England.

In 1941 she was inducted as a special agent by the British ‘Special Operations Executive’ (SOE). Faking as a ‘New York Post’ reporter, using her codename “Mary”, she went back to France in August that year. She aided in establishing a defiance network in Vichy for the next fifteen months.

After moving to Lyons in early 1942 she worked intently. During the end of the year around November 1942 the Germans captured France abruptly and as their suspicion against her grew, she escaped to Spain. Thereafter she worked for the British ‘Special Operations Executive’ (SOE) in Madrid for a while.

In July 1943 after she returned to London, she was conferred honorary ‘Member of the Order of the British Empire’ (MBE).

From March 1944 she began to serve ‘Special Operations Branch’ of the United States ‘Office of Strategic Services’ and on March 21 she was sent back to France. As her “Cuthbert” prevented her from using parachute, she was landed to Brittany Coast by a British MTB. This time she entered France with a fake French ID as Marcelle Montagne while her associates called her by the codename “Daine”.

She dodged the ‘Gestapo’, who were by that time in know of her activities and called her "lady with the limp", to join the ‘French Resistance’ in the Haute-Loire region.

She chalked out drop areas where commandos, money, weapons and other supplies can be sent from England. She arranged safe houses and when the Allied Forces disembarked at Normandy, she got in touch with a Jedburgh team.

Undeterred by the high alertness of the ‘Gestapo’ she managed to inform the Allies of the relocation of headquarters of the Germans from Lyons to Le Puy.

She aided in training three battalions of the resistance forces in conducting guerrilla war against the Germans.

After the war was over, she started working as an intelligence analyst on French parliamentary affairs in the ‘Special Activities Division’ of the ‘Central Intelligence Agency’ of America from 1951.

In 1966 she retired from CIA and stayed in a farm in Barnesville, Maryland.

Personal Life & Legacy

She married Paul Goillot, an agent of the ‘Office of Strategic Services’ in 1950.

On July 8, 1982 she died at the ‘Shady Grove Adventist Hospital’ in Rockville, Maryland and was interred in Pikesville, Maryland at the ‘Druid Ridge Cemetery’.

// Famous Miscellaneous

Jason Simpson

Jason Simpson

Jason Simpson is the son of former NFL running back, broadcaster and actor O. J. Simpson. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family, life, and little known facts about him.

Melissa Brim

Melissa Brim

Melissa Brim is the ex-girlfriend of former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Check out this biography to know about her birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer is a Christian author and speaker. This biography provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline

Virginia Hall biography timelines

  • // 6th Apr 1906
    She was born on April 6, 1906, in a well-to-do family of Edwin Hall in Baltimore, United States. Her father was the owner of a cinema in Baltimore.
  • // 1931
    In 1931 she joined the American Embassy as a Consular Service clerk in Warsaw, Poland. She aimed to work at the US State Department to pursue a career in Foreign Service.
  • // 1932
    In 1932 she met with an unfortunate accident when she mistakenly shot her left leg during a hunting expedition in Turkey. This led to amputation of a part of her left leg down the knee. She started wearing a wooden leg in the place and used to call it “Cuthbert’.
  • // 1939
    Though she did not allow the mishap to discourage her, it posed a hindrance in the path of her dream of continuing her career in the Foreign Service. In 1939 she was forced to resign from her job as a regulation of US State Department restricted employment of anyone with "any amputation of a portion of a limb".
  • // May 1940
    In May 1940 when the Nazis invaded France, she managed to escape to England.
  • // 1941
    In 1941 she was inducted as a special agent by the British ‘Special Operations Executive’ (SOE). Faking as a ‘New York Post’ reporter, using her codename “Mary”, she went back to France in August that year. She aided in establishing a defiance network in Vichy for the next fifteen months.
  • // Nov 1942
    After moving to Lyons in early 1942 she worked intently. During the end of the year around November 1942 the Germans captured France abruptly and as their suspicion against her grew, she escaped to Spain. Thereafter she worked for the British ‘Special Operations Executive’ (SOE) in Madrid for a while.
  • // Jul 1943
    In July 1943 after she returned to London, she was conferred honorary ‘Member of the Order of the British Empire’ (MBE).
  • // Mar 1944
    From March 1944 she began to serve ‘Special Operations Branch’ of the United States ‘Office of Strategic Services’ and on March 21 she was sent back to France. As her “Cuthbert” prevented her from using parachute, she was landed to Brittany Coast by a British MTB. This time she entered France with a fake French ID as Marcelle Montagne while her associates called her by the codename “Daine”.
  • // 1950
    She married Paul Goillot, an agent of the ‘Office of Strategic Services’ in 1950.
  • // 1951
    After the war was over, she started working as an intelligence analyst on French parliamentary affairs in the ‘Special Activities Division’ of the ‘Central Intelligence Agency’ of America from 1951.
  • // 1966
    In 1966 she retired from CIA and stayed in a farm in Barnesville, Maryland.
  • // 8th Jul 1982
    On July 8, 1982 she died at the ‘Shady Grove Adventist Hospital’ in Rockville, Maryland and was interred in Pikesville, Maryland at the ‘Druid Ridge Cemetery’.

// Famous American peoples

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller is an American actor and screenwriter who achieved recognition for his role in the TV series ‘Prison Break’.

Jason Simpson

Jason Simpson

Jason Simpson is the son of former NFL running back, broadcaster and actor O. J. Simpson. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family, life, and little known facts about him.

Melissa Brim

Melissa Brim

Melissa Brim is the ex-girlfriend of former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Check out this biography to know about her birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her.

Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson is an American child actress with huge fan following. Find more about her family & personal life, relationships, facts and more.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer is a Christian author and speaker. This biography provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline

Zoe LaVerne

Zoe LaVerne

Zoe LaVerne is an American musical.ly star. Check out this biography to know more about her family, personal life, including her age, birthday, etc.

Virginia Hall's FAQ

  • What is Virginia Hall birthday?

    Virginia Hall was born at 1906-04-06

  • When was Virginia Hall died?

    Virginia Hall was died at 1982-07-08

  • Which age was Virginia Hall died?

    Virginia Hall was died at age 76

  • Where is Virginia Hall's birth place?

    Virginia Hall was born in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

  • What is Virginia Hall nationalities?

    Virginia Hall's nationalities is American

  • Who is Virginia Hall spouses?

    Virginia Hall's spouses is Paul Gaston Goillot

  • What was Virginia Hall universities?

    Virginia Hall studied at Roland Park Country School, Radcliffe College

  • What is Virginia Hall's sun sign?

    Virginia Hall is Aries

  • How famous is Virginia Hall?

    Virginia Hall is famouse as American Spy